E-text prepared by Al Haines

THE MOTOR GIRLS THROUGH NEW ENGLAND

Or

Held by the Gypsies

by

MARGARET PENROSE

The Goldsmith Publishing Co.
New York, N.Y.

Copyright, 1911, by
Cupples & Leon Company

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I THE SHADOW II STRIKE OF THE LEADING LADY III A MISHAP IV TO THE RESCUE V FRIEND OR FOE VI A THIEF IN THE NIGHT VII THE SEARCH VIII THE BEGINNING OF THE END IX THE START X AN EXPLOSION XI THE RESULT OF A BLAZE XII QUEER COBBLERS XIII A DELAY AND A SCARE XIV THE MIDNIGHT TOW XV THE GIPSY'S WARNING XVI THE DISAPPEARANCE XVII MISSING XVIII KIDNAPPED XIX THE DEN OF THE GYPSY QUEEN XX CORA AND HELKA XXI MOTHER HULL XXII SADDENED HEARTS XXIII ANOTHER STORY XXIV THE COLLAPSE XXV THE AWAKENING XXVI SURPRISES XXVII THE CALL OF THE HEART XXVIII VICTORY XXIX A REAL LOVE FEAST

THE MOTOR GIRLS THROUGH NEW ENGLAND

CHAPTER I

THE SHADOW

"Look, girls! There's a man!"

"Where?"

"Just creeping under the dining-room window!"

"What can he want—looks suspicious!"

"Oh, I'm afraid to go in!"

"Hush! We won't go in just now!"

"If only the boys were here!"

"Well, don't cry—they will be here soon."

"See! He's getting under the fence! There he goes!"

"Did you get a look at him?"

"Yes, a good look. I'll know him next time."

Bess, Belle and Cora were holding this whispered conversation. It wasBelle, the timid, who wanted to cry, and it was Cora who had reallyseen the man—got the good look. Bess did say she wished the boys werearound, but Bess had great confidence in those boys, and this remark,when a man was actually sneaking around Clover Cottage, was perfectlypardonable.

The motor girls had just returned from a delightful afternoon ridealong the shore road at Lookout Beach. Bess and Belle Robinson,otherwise Elizabeth and Isabel, the twins, were in their littlecar—the Flyaway—and Cora Kimball was driving her fine,four-cylinder touring affair, both machines having just pulled up infront of Clover Cottage, the summer home of the Robinsons.

"Did the boys say they would come directly from the post-office?" asked
Belle, as she eyed the back fence suspiciously.

"Yes, they had to drop some mail in the box. We won't attempt to go inuntil they come. At any rate, I have a little something to do to theWhirlwind," and Cora pulled off her gloves, and started to get awrench out of the tool box.

"I'll get busy, too," declared Bess. "It will look better in case ourfriend happens to come around the corner."

"No danger," and Cora glanced up from the tool box. "I fancy thatgentleman is not of the type that runs into facts."

"Do you think he is a burglar?" asked Belle.

"Well, I wouldn't say just that. But he certainly is notstraightforward. And that is a bad sign," replied Cora.

"And not a person in the house to help us," sighed Belle. "Oh, I don'tsee why mamma——"

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